1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to rack mounted computer servers. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and mechanism for diagnosing and debugging a rack mount server.
2. Background of the Invention
A natural progression for many modem electronic devices is to shrink in size over time and model generations. Miniaturization has been witnessed in devices such as audio and video playback equipment and cordless and cellular telephones. However, it is possible that this miniaturization process has had the greatest effect on computer systems. Portable and handheld computers are thinner and lighter than ever. Desktop systems, while roughly the same size as older generations, offer more features because more internal components can be installed. Similarly, server systems that used to occupy entire rooms can now fit into a single rack.
Much of the miniaturization of rack server systems can be attributed to the fact that servers do not necessarily require user input and output (“I/O”) devices such as keyboards and monitors. A conventional rack server may include all the components and circuitry of a high-power desktop workstation, but without provisions (or minimal provisions) for user I/O. Thus, enclosures for rack servers continue to decrease in size. For example, a 1U rack server may comprise multiple processors, massive amounts of memory, exchangeable hard drives, expansion slots, and network cards, all within a standard 1¾″ tall by 19″ wide by 24″ deep enclosure.
As rack mount servers decrease in size, the front and rear faceplates of these servers also become limited in area. The front face of rack mount servers typically include one or more hot plug hard drives, floppy drives and CD or DVD drives. The rear face commonly includes the I/O data ports, such as ethernet, firewire, expansion bus slots, and serial data ports. In addition, power connections are also typically located at the rear of the server. During normal operations, most (if not all) of the information coming into and out of conventional servers passes through the rear faceplate. This includes provisions for remotely accessing and operating individual servers. Access to system management hardware or firmware or the server operating system are typically done through network connections or through a dedicated management port at the rear of the server. In the event a server goes down or otherwise becomes inoperable, system administrators will remotely access the server via one of these methods.
Each of these data, power, and management connections are accessed via backplanes or extensive amounts of cabling, which makes for an incredibly cluttered environment. Considering the fact that each rack can have dozens of servers, each with its own set of data and power connections and that multiple racks may be placed side by side and pushed up against a wall, it is easy to see how access to the rear of these servers quickly becomes limited. Unfortunately, diagnosing a rack mount server involves accessing the back panel to get to the network or management ports. Sometimes, because the rear of the rack is so cluttered, the most practical way to diagnose a server is to simply pull the server out of the rack. Unfortunately, this creates other issues such as losing power connections and perhaps losing conditions that may have contributed the server failure in the first place.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an independent diagnostic port at the front surface of a rack mount server. The novel diagnostic port would advantageously allow system administrators to easily access debug routines in the server operating system or system management information internal to the server. In addition, the improved method would eliminate the need to remove a server from a rack prior to diagnosing and thereby maintain any conditions that may have contributed to error indications.